Veitkat hitt, hvárt Heita
hungrdeyfi skalk leyfa
dynsæðinga dauðan
dýrbliks eða þó kvikvan,
alls sannliga segja
— sárr mun gramr at hvôru —
— hætts til hans at frétta —
hvárrtveggja mér seggir.
Veitkat hitt, hvárt skalk leyfa Heita dýrbliks dynsæðinga hungrdeyfi dauðan eða þó kvikvan, alls seggir segja mér hvárrtveggja sannliga; gramr mun sárr at hvôru; hætts at frétta til hans.
I do not know whether I am to praise the hunger-soother of the gulls of the din of the gleam of the beast of Heiti <sea-king> [(lit. ‘hunger-soother of the din-gulls of the beast-gleam of Heiti’) SHIP > SHIELD > BATTLE > RAVENS/EAGLES > WARRIOR] dead or, after all, alive, since men tell me both as the truth; the lord must be wounded either way; it is risky to enquire about him.
[1] hvárt: so 310, F, J2ˣ, 61, 53, hvar FskAˣ, hvé Holm18, Flat, þó at 4‑7, áðr Kˣ, hvert J1ˣ, Flat
[1] hvárt ‘whether’: The extreme variation in the mss perhaps reflects the unexpectedness of the statement in the first helmingr, but only hvárt completes the syntax. It also has the strongest ms. support.